Simply a Fantasy
by ObsessionDelavoix
Summary: We live in an alternate universe.
1. Author's Notes: Read please

Author's Notes:

The original character from 'Maid-Sama!' that this story focuses mainly on will change gradually, depending on the flow of the story.

As for now, it's Tora Igarashi.

Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1: Gehirn that we live in

Okay, I do not own Maid-Sama!

Just the idea for this story. Enjoy!

* * *

We live in an alternate universe, where our world is similar to yours but not very much alike as well. Five men – Five powerful men run this world, each ruling a region of their own and each possessing a distinct ability. As to how they ruled, it is entirely up to them.

Here, the story begins at the region of Gehirn. The region ruled by The Man of The Mind.

The Man of The Mind was not a cruel or brutal ruler, but he was definitely feared across the land. Known for enjoying mere amusement, the fear he settled amongst his people was caused by one sole reason – if he wanted something, by all means, he knew precisely how to get it.

Of course, there were certainly other reasons to fear him.

For example, he could easily manipulate one's mind into making the poor victim do something he or she desperately didn't want to do. He could also make people believe in the truth that he himself had forged. And if anyone were to feel provoked or offended by his actions and wanted to pay back, he'd know. He'd always know.

Not a single form of escape from the inevitable mind control of his existed.

The Man of The Mind enjoyed toying with people's mind. Tora Igarashi was his name.

!.!

I've always wondered, why were we called _prey_? Shouldn't we be called commoners at the least?

For some strange reason, I'd always feel deeply insulted whenever I've been called that.

And yet, no answers waited for me, for if I asked another of this matter, I'd get hit immediately without knowing why.

"Don't," they all say coarsely with their eyebrows scrunched so close together they might even form a perfect line.

They refused to listen to even one word I had to say.

Why?

Because they were too scared to do so.

But even then, when I was only the age of six, I had already hated the feeling – _fear_ it was called.

!.!

_Eleven years had passed.._.

"Pan! Pan!"

The frantic call of my name echoed through the corridors, followed by the loud marching of the gruff, ol' landlady which one can easily mistaken as a parade of stampeding elephants.

Like always, I was far too set on my train of thoughts to even notice the landlady's shouts that now I begin to wonder how I'm able to keep such a well-paid job with this kind of effort for months now.

Finally, the landlady found my whereabouts.

"Pan!" she shouted, making me jump.

"Yes?" I said holding my chair steady as I regained my balance.

I saw that her face beamed bright red and that her once neat bun had turned into what seems like a slumped, flattened ball with thorns sticking out.

I remained neutral, only to avoid enduring another of her long lectures.

"Where have you been, young lady? I've been calling you for numerous times now!" she fussed, her eyes locked with mine and her head shaking to every word she said.

Well, I do prefer fussing over time-consuming lectures. It lasts shorter and is much more fun to listen to.

I put the chair aside and patted my uniform. "I was thinking."

The landlady placed both her hands on her large waist and pursed her lips. "You get paid to work, Pan. Not to _think_."

The way she said 'think' was as if it was a plague - which in Gehirn probably is.

People here don't think because they're too afraid to. They just do what they're told to do without worrying about their feelings upon the matter or even the aftereffects on their lives. Unlike them, I know how to think, and that is to preserve my thoughts for myself, only myself. And that isn't something anyone in Gehirn can freely do every day. But I somehow managed to find a way after years of observing.

I sighed. "So, what work do I have to do?"

The landlady frowned, probably annoyed that I didn't even bother to apologize to her. She later said, "A chief is coming to stay. So, I want you to make sure his room is spotless."

"You mean you want me to clean it."

It wasn't a question, and she knew that too. But the landlady confirmed, "Yes, Pan. I want you to clean the room."

!.!

The chief was satisfied with the hospitality he received and stated that the room was far more comfortable than he initially expected. He promised to come again. The landlady decided to give me a bonus to my salary for helping her achieve such wonderful remarks. I wasn't surprised. Satisfying people happened to be a strange talent of mine, no matter what field I had to satisfy the person with.

As I finished with the leftover work, I took off my uniform and placed it neatly in the employee's rack. I then changed into my casual attire and waited for my companion of the same age, Cyca, as she still had work to do.

After waiting for a few minutes, Cyca finally appeared.

She lowered her head and smiled shyly. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Pan."

I raised my hand. "No, it's alright. I was already about to leave anyway."

I could see she didn't know how to react to what I said. So I smiled, signaling her that I was only kidding (which I wasn't).

"Shall we go?" I asked.

She nodded.

After a while, I sensed that Cyca felt uncomfortable being silent, so I decided to converse, talking mainly about work. We were actually on our way to fetch my sister. Well, she isn't biologically my sister; I've just been taking care of her ever since she was little that I eventually began to see her as a sister. Her name was Shiree. She was a sweet, fifteen year old who was working at a bakery. I had told her that my salary alone could support the both of us, but she resisted, saying that she didn't want to rely on me all the time. I didn't have a problem with it though.

As we reached the bakery, Shiree was already waiting for us. As usual, she had a bright smile plastered on her face. She walked up to me and gave me a hug.

I took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "C'mon, tonight's meeting is vital."

Shiree smiled, not as brightly as before, because she felt scared. I turned to Cyca, she looked exceedingly nervous too. I patted her shoulder with my free hand and gave her a smile, hoping it'd reassure her. I managed to get a response but she still wasn't confident. Neither two were.

!.!

All of us finally gathered for the meeting. The atmosphere felt tense and solemn; well, maybe the people were tensed and solemn. But I wasn't, definitely not. For days I've been extremely excited for this meeting, that I've become restless for nights. But it didn't affect me in the next morning because I was also restless during the day.

Just as I was about to say something, Rau; an underling who was secretly against The Man of The Mind from the start, said, "I think we need more time."

_More time? We need more… time?_

I looked at everyone else, and they all seemed to be in agreement. I was surprised that they felt so. But I was definitely against the idea.

I stepped up front, pulling everyone's attention towards me.

"No," I said. "We've had enough time, and it's time to take action now."

Mashiro, a boy of my age and someone who always seemed to be respectful towards my words, also stepped up. "Pan, I think Rau's right, some of us need more time. I mean, take a look at Cyca!"

He pointed and I turned to her. Mashiro was right. Cyca looked terrified. Yes, the thought of going against The Man of The Mind must be frightening for some people; actually I think people are too frightened to even want to have that thought. The thing is everyone here, every living, breathing person in this room, was different. We _had _thought of that. And now, there's no turning back, at least I won't allow it.

I rubbed my forehead, due to the sudden feeling of stress occurring. "We've discussed this before. And we agreed that tonight I teach you how to resist The Man of The Mind's control."

I put my hand away and looked up; I saw that everyone's eyes were gleaming with interest. Of course, who wouldn't be interested? 'Till this day, I know that most of the people here decided to join the group only because they wanted to know how to resist the mind control. I didn't mind, but seeing how they felt during that meeting, I didn't think they were ready to know just yet.

I sighed deeply. "This meeting is over."

No one said a word, most probably because they were relieved.

I walked to the door. "If we keep delaying," I said, my voice low but enough for them to hear. "This 'confrontation' will never happen."

With that being said, I walked out feeling utter disappointment with everything.

!.!

I was sent to a far-off town near the coast of Gehirn to complete an errand given by the landlady. It was a three-day journey to that town, and I'm probably going stay there for at least two days. And, it's going to take another three days to return, so it sums up to a total of eight days that I'll be gone. That means no meetings will be conducted while I'm gone. I thought long and hard and came to a conclusion that there was no possible way I could shorten my trip. No matter, I told Shiree to inform everyone that when I return, be ready for an immediate meeting.

I came back rather late at night, so I assumed that everyone was already ready for the meeting. But when I arrived, no one was present. I was suspicious because I was certain that they should be here by now, and I knew Shiree would never neglect my orders. I grew impatient, but I decided to wait.

And much to my surprise, the door busted open.

A pair of underlings appeared. "You're coming with us."

I stayed at my position, staring at them. "Alright," I said.

They came in and grabbed my arms, making sure that I couldn't escape – Not that I even planned to.

!.!

This was where The Man of The Mind lived. I gazed at the enormous castle and wondered, why build such a huge sanctuary for just one man? As I entered, the interior was, well, luxurious, _very_ _luxurious_. It was nothing like I've seen before. Even the richest resident in town had nothing compared to this. Not that it bothered me. I never was interested in riches.

So the underlings brought me deeper into the castle. We went through hallway to hallway, corridor to corridor, and finally we came to a stop and arrived at a door. And, the door was luxurious-looking as well.

We entered and I was dropped to the floor.

"Thank you," I muttered as I began to stand.

They scoffed at me and stayed posted at the door.

The room was dim and the only lights I spotted were placed at the far ends of the room. I rubbed my arms, feeling an outburst of chilliness.

"Feeling cold, are we?" a deep, husky voice called.

I then noticed a large throne-like chair (A/N: what?) at the far opposite of the room, but it was hovered by darkness for me to see clearly. I decided to take a few steps closer.

"Move only when I tell you to," the voice commanded, his tone sounded strong but surprisingly playful as well.

"I'll move as I like," I replied firmly, continuing to take more steps closer.

As I reached a considerable distance, I could see the outline of, who I assume is The Ma-

"Yes, I am The Man of The Mind," I heard him suddenly say.

I cursed to myself, he read my mind.

"Pan, is it?" he asked, not needing me to confirm it. "What a funny name."

I subconsciously glared. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult me."

"_Prey_ then." Now he was taunting me.

"I'd appreciate it if you don't call me that," my voice came out sharp, which I was glad it did.

Even if his face was covered by the shadows, I could see his lips forming a smile. "Alright, _Pan_, I've heard that you've been holding secret meetings, am I right?"

"Yes," I answered, not showing a hint of fear.

"And would you mind telling me what these secret meetings are for?" he continued, his voice sharp.

"I do mind," I asserted.

He crossed his legs. "Too bad, I already know."

I was surprised. _What? _I distinctly remembered forcing everyone to swear they'd never reveal the aim of our meetings, no matter what happened to them. I told them that if they did, something bad would happen to everyone. And that was a hunch, and everyone knows my hunches are definite.

My eyebrows furrowed. "No, that can't-"

But I was interrupted when I saw another figure appear out of the shadows. I was surprised that I didn't even notice that there was someone else here. But I was more surprised to see the figure was -

"Cyca?"

She refused to meet my eyes; instead she stared hard at the floor. She looked uncomfortable, but it was different from her usual uncomfortable self. I called her again.

The Man of The Mind laughed. "_She_ told me everything."

I didn't say anything, not because I was at a loss of words or was shocked. I was neither two. But what troubled me was that something bad was going to happen to everyone, and what's worse, I had no idea what that 'something bad' is.

"Pan, please forgive me!" I heard Cyca cry; I've never seen or heard her like this before. "I couldn't help it! I tried to resist but… he was just too powerful!"

And again, the man laughed as if treating her cry as some kind of joke. "Actually, I-"

Then, I had another hunch.

"-Didn't even have to use any power over her," I finished his sentence before he could.

The man rested his head on his hand. "Oh, did you read my mind?" He sounded amused.

I shook my head. "No, I had a hunch."

"Oh, yes. I've heard that your hunches are _very_ precise."

"So they say," I said simply, not surprised as I mentioned before, _everyone_ knows my hunches are definite.

"Then, how about we play a card game?" he suggested, taking what it seems to be a deck of cards from a pocket of his clothing. "Just to test these hunches of yours."

I felt unsure, "A card game?"

His head nodded. "Played any card games before?" he asked with a certain playfulness in his tone.

"No," I answered. "But I've seen people play before."

"Seeing is enough." I spotted his lips curve into a smile.

He stood from his chair and finally, I could clearly see his face as he stepped out of the shadows. The man was about… my age. However, something felt ancient about him. And surprisingly, he was… handsome as well. I wanted to smack myself, hard, for even feeling a tang of attraction towards him. I groaned quietly, feeling upset and disappointed at the sight of what was supposedly the person I intend on going against.

He quirked an eyebrow. "You aren't satisfied with my appearance?"

I decided to stay quiet because I did _not_ want to answer his question.

He chuckled. "Alright, let's start our game."

"This is a very simple game," he told me. "Even a _prey_ like you wouldn't have a problem playing it."

I glared at him.

"Oh, I forgot!" He gave me an obviously insincere apology. "You don't like being called _prey_."

He called one of his underlings and told him to fetch a table. He then shuffled the deck of cards to pass time as we waited.

The underling finally arrived. "Okay," he said, placing the cards on the table and divided it into three groups. "Pick a group."

I decided on the first group of cards.

He put the other two groups of cards aside and said, "Now, pick three cards."

After I did, he lifted those three cards. "Alright, pick a card."

I settled with the third card and asked, "Can I see it?"

"Of course," he told. "But you have to show me the card too."

"Here," I immediately turned the card to face him.

"Six of Hearts," he noted.

I was surprised. Six of Hearts… my group was formed with six members; Me, Cyca, Shiree, Rau, Obito and Mashiro. This can't be a mere coincidence, right?

"Is something the matter?" I heard him say.

I shook my head. "No."

"Well," he said. "Go take another two cards."

And so I did and gave them to him. He then placed my card in the middle and shuffled the cards. He later placed those five cards separately on the table.

He smiled. "Now, all you have to do is pick a card. If that card belongs to you, you win. If not, you lose."

I carefully examined the cards he placed before me. Thankfully, a hunch came.

_You'll lose._

I bit my lip. "I want to start over."

"A hunch, huh?" He said as he took all the cards from the table. "Very well."

So, we repeated the whole cycle, and again, and again, and again. It bothered me how all my hunches concluded that I'd lose the game. I tried to think of possible reasons as to why I'd fail, but this game skill required luck, so maybe I lack that. But there's also careful examining. I continued thinking and then, I finally realized the problem.

My card was never there.

I was amazed at how long it took me figure that out but fortunately, I already knew how to outsmart this game. All I had to do was mark a tiny dent at the side of the card.

As I was told to pick my card, I brought him into a conversation.

"I've been meaning to ask, what happens if I lose?"

_Marked._

He met my eyes and his lips quirked into a dark smile. "If you lose, your mind belongs to me."

I blinked. "What?"

He let out a soft yet malicious laugh. "I know that you can somehow resist my mind control, Pan. And as to how, I honestly don't know and I never even thought it was possible. But _when_ you lose, I'll be able to control that strong-willed mind of yours and learn your secret."

I was astounded at how confident he was. But I myself was confident as well.

I smirked. "How unfortunate. Sadly, I'm not going to lose."

I took my card from the stack of cards he was holding and showed it to him.

"This is my card," I smiled the sweetest I've ever smiled. "You cheated. So, I win by fault."

He was genuinely surprised; it showed clearly in his eyes. But he returned to his calm self again in a blink of an eye.

"Fine, you are free to go." His tone sounded slightly disappointed.

I was already halfway to the door when I heard him call me.

"You don't wish to bid your friend here farewell?" he asked, already in the midst of the shadows.

I turned and saw that Cyca was still looking down.

I raised my voice, so she could clearly hear my last words to her. "I wasn't surprised by your actions, Cyca. You always were the one with the weakest mind in the group."

I raised my hand. "Farewell."

* * *

Dear Reader(s),

I've really enjoyed writing this and I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Well, this is only the beginning, so nothing amazing or jaw-dropping has happened yet. But, hopefully will happen. Do forgive me if there are any spelling or grammatical errors. Anyways, please review!

Yours Faithfully,

Obsession Delavoix.


	3. Chapter 2: To Search and To Transfer

'Maid-Sama!'... it belongs to me. Pfft, I wish.

But I'm certain this story belongs to me. Definitely.

Enjoy!

* * *

I threw myself onto my bed, accumulating my frustration and drowning myself with it. There, I began to weep, for I knew then that all my hard work, my plans … gone before I even had the chance to do anything.

Strangely, the tears that rolled down my cheeks felt unnatural, maybe because I haven't cried for so long.

The last time I wept happened about eight years ago or so, I had successfully managed to convince the other children that being called_ prey _meant we were weak. At least, I thought I was successful. One day, I was dragged by the elders and was beaten pretty badly. Even though I had specifically informed the other children not to tell their parents or any adult because I had a hunch saying something _physically_ bad would happen if they did, they deliberately disobeyed my orders; the worst thing is I had to play _victim_. I remember the elders yelling at me with their eyes ablaze and some actually worried, "Stop with your foolish procedures!" or "Don't spread your crude influence on our children!" Ever since, I've never regarded anyone as a trustworthy friend.

Still, on that night, I wept profusely. Not because my body was hurting (which it was), but for the very same reason I was crying tonight. _I was frustrated._

I forced myself to dry my now sore eyes. But I later found myself punching and kicking my bed to substitute my crying, causing the floor to shake upon the impacts. If my bed was alive, I don't doubt it would've begged for mercy. But even if it did, I would show none.

"Why?!" I screamed, feeling as if my lungs could've exploded in any second.

The scene I caused would probably trouble the residents in my town. But why would they care? They wouldn't even _think_ that they should care. So, why bother worrying?

As I continued with the merciless blows to my bed, I took a quick glance at my clock. And it caused me to cease what I was doing.

_1:23 am,_ I thought it said.

I immediately took the clock just to make sure. As I feared, I wasn't wrong. It was 1:23 am. But it couldn't be that late. Shiree wasn't even home yet. I grew worried in a mere split second and immediately grabbed my cape and ran out the door.

!.!

Shiree had gone missing for a few days now without me even aware of it. Her fellow workers claimed that she hadn't been in work ever since I left. I asked everyone who I assume was acquainted with her but they stated that they too haven't seen or heard from her.

_Go look for the others._

This hunch had repeatedly occurred in my mind. I knew I had to follow its advice but I couldn't give up on searching for Shiree just yet. But slowly, I found that I had no other option.

I decided to go pay a visit to Mashiro first.

!.!

I waited patiently at the door after I rang the doorbell. Mashiro's house wasn't extravagant even though he came from quite a wealthy family. His house was a bungalow; simple and nice to see. I heard that he lives alone but apparently, what I heard was false.

The door opened, revealing a young, pretty woman of early 20s perhaps who - when saw me – looked scorned.

"What do you want?" she asked - sneered actually, to be more precise.

I frowned, obviously not appreciating such rudeness. "Call Mashiro, I want to talk to him."

"He's not here," she told. The woman then began to close the door.

However, I was quick enough to stop the door from shutting completely.

_Yes, Mashiro isn't here. Just like how Shiree isn't here as well._

I was thankful that a hunch came, even if it wasn't as wanted as I had wished it to be, but I considered the news it brought crucial when placed with the situation I was in.

"Mashiro isn't here." What I said wasn't a confirmation for myself, rather it was a taunt intended for the woman; with a slight dab of annoyance in my tone so she'd definitely come out.

And as I predicted, the door slowly opened. "Fine," she said with disdain while crossing her arms.

I was allowed to finally enter after a seemingly long session of an intimidating (for her, I believe) and silent stare. I was told to observe my surroundings to notify myself that Mashiro wasn't here as she brought me to _their_ room. There, I noticed that the interior design of Mashiro's house was as simple and nice to see as the exterior design of the house. Nothing fancy or eye-catching, actually there wasn't much furniture or decorations around, but enough to entertain a small gathering. He was probably rational enough to know that he didn't need all those things, being a bachelor and all.

_But then, who was this woman?_

Much to my surprise, my question was answered almost immediately. "I'm his fiancée by the way,"the woman said as she turned her head to take a glance at me. She later added,"I just wanted you to know."

I nodded, which caused her to smirk at me as if showing a hint of triumph. I found the smirk completely pointless because I honestly wasn't bothered with her being Mashiro's fiancée at all.

It was as she said, Mashiro wasn't here. But that only confirmed the fact that both Shiree and Mashiro were now missing.

As I was sent out the door, I decided to ask, "Do you know where Mashiro might've gone to?"

When I turned, I noticed that she had suddenly clenched the doorknob really tightly. "Don't act like you don't know!" she suddenly shouted at me with her eyes burning with anger. "He's imprisoned because of you!"

With that, she banged the door loudly at my face as I suppose was to hide her eyes that were then already streaming with tears, despite the ferocity present in her eyes.

I looked down and furrowed my eyebrows

_Imprisoned?_

!.!

I was already panting hard as I reached Obito's doorstep. There I began to knock the door but no one answered. If I remembered correctly, he had a wife and three kids. Surely they would've noticed me knocking by now. Sadly, they failed to.

"Can't they hear?" I complained aloud, still knocking.

While I was single-handedly creating a ruckus, I luckily spotted a sudden quick movement from the corner of my eyes; someone had taken a small peek from the window. I then walked to the window and knocked it louder than I did at the door.

"I know you're there," I told to whoever was inside. Just to make sure they wouldn't continue keeping themselves retained, I decided to add – "And I'm not going anywhere."

After a few minutes passed, I heard the door crack open. Obito's wife appeared.

She apologized, which lessened my temper. "Obito isn't here."

I nodded; feeling disappointed with the news, but asked, "Okay. Can I come in?"

She was unsure at first, but later agreed.

As I stepped into the house, I spotted Obito's children lounging by a sofa, watching the television and not paying any notice of me.

"How lovely," I commented, sincerely envying their undisturbed comfort.

Obito's wife smiled. "Yes, but there hasn't been much laughter in this house lately," she told me, sighing forlornly.

"And why is that?" I asked, taking off my hood.

"Well, Obito left-" She gave a sudden pause and turned away, grasping a nearby chair tightly. "Actually… I kicked him out."

I was surprised by her statement, so I turned to the children and examined them. There, despite how comfortable they looked, I noticed there was an unmistakable gloom present in their eyes. I didn't know how sad it'd be to lose a father; maybe because I've never had a father before, or a mother.

I turned back to the now distraught Obito's wife and found that tears were starting to form in her eyes.

"But then, I heard that he- that he- that he- that he-" I gave an effort to _try_ listen to her, even if all she did was stammer and choke in her tears. Yes, I know what I thought was rude or inappropriate, but I was extremely annoyed with her excessive stammering. I mean, how can one stand such a fault? Thankfully, she finally got a grip and continued, "That he was imprisoned just a few days ago!"

She then gave a cry so loud, it even managed to garner her children's attention from their secured comfort. They were already ready to help their poor mother but I raised my hand at them, causing them to halt.

I took a step closer to Obito's teary-eyed wife. "Why did you kick him out?" I asked so softly, it almost came out as a whisper.

She looked at me and I could tell she was holding back her tears. "It was because I- I- I- I-"

Let me smack her now, _please._

But I refrained myself from doing so, instead I forced myself to believe I was merely being _impatient. _

"I- I- I didn't agree to him attending these secret meetings. I was afraid that it'd- it'd- it'd endanger our family!" With that, she burst into tears all over again.

I was taken aback by her statement, only because the reason why Obito was kicked out by his wife was because of the meetings I conducted. But I didn't feel guilty though, because I _had_ told everyone that they could only attend these meetings if they truly were willing to.

Now that I knew what happened to Obito, I was ready to go. But because I felt it was rude to simply leave the woman there crying, I reluctantly patted her shoulder, giving my best attempt on comforting her. I then remembered that her children were witnessing this dreaded scene and so, I called them over.

After they arrived by their mother's side, I walked to the door. But again, I felt it was rude to just walk out when I knew that a family was suffering from grief that was caused solely by me. I sighed deeply as I unwillingly took out a bag of a week's savings and entrusted it to the youngest child.

"Give it to your mother," I ordered; my face straight and my tone monotonous.

He nodded and returned to comfort his mother, keeping the bag carefully in his pocket.

I closed the door and went to sit by the porch, trying my best to ignore the _still_ audible cries of Obito's wife.

_Okay,_ I placed my hand over my chin. _ I know that both Mashiro and Obito are claimed to be imprisoned. But how about Shiree? No one knows a thing or two about what happened to her. I heard that gender - in Gehirn - affected one's punishment. So I can't confirm that Shiree's imprisoned as well, even if that would make me feel a heck more relieved._

The only thing left for me to do was see Rau; an underling who must've probably gotten the worst punishment compared to the others.

!.!

This bar was made especially for those who have earned the title 'underling'. It was rather disappointing though – a few drunkards smoking cigarettes playing pool there, some flirtatious women by the tables at the far end of the room, loud and suspicious thuds by the ceiling – Yes, disappointing and definitely not how we _simple_ commoners would picture the site.

I looked around; earnestly searching for the one named 'Dinn' and desperately hoping he was still in a sane state. After I realized that my search was beginning to seem useless, I decided to ask the bar owner if he knew where this 'Dinn' was.

The bar owner started laughing aloud, sending echoes throughout the whole room which seemed to only affect me. "What's a young girl like you searching for that fool, eh?"

I let out a sigh as I irritatingly furrowed my eyebrows but tried to keep calm. "Please, do not waste my time, sir. Apparently, my search for this fool happens to be of dire emergency."

"Alright," he said slowly, raising both his hands as a signal to calm me down. "Dinn's right there."

My gaze followed the direction he pointed and it landed on a man who was all by himself, looking dirty with his obviously unwashed clothes and flaunting himself with a bottle of wine. I thanked the bar owner and left to approach this 'Dinn'.

"Excuse me," I said politely as I reached a considerable distance. "Are you Dinn?"

The man slowly raised his head and surprisingly, despite his grimy appearance, his eyes were a remarkable shade of blue.

"Yes," he answered, sounding rather dismissive.

"Are you an acquaintance of Rau?" I asked.

"Yes." He still sounded dismissive.

I cleared my throat. "My name is Pan, and I-" But I was interrupted when the man started to laugh in an odd way.

"So, you're this _Pan_ Rau's been so eagerly talking about." I was surprised with what he said. "Such strong-will no one in Gehirn could ever posses, always calm and compassionate – Born to be a leader, he said. But seeing you now, I begin to doubt what Rau saw in you." He quirked an eyebrow at me, "Stern looking and you don't even seem compassionate at all! You even have grey hair popping from your head! So I can't call you pretty."

I kept a straight face. "Such flattering comments, I'll be sure to remember. Now, tell me where Rau is."

The impulsive man took a large gulp from the bottle he was holding, allowing a few drops of wine to fall from the corners of his mouth. "Rau's been casted off to another region."

"Another region?"

"Yes, a distant land. A cruel land he must've been placed at!" He laughed wearily at his own statement which caused him to accidently drop his bottle of wine to the floor. "Oh, great shit," he muttered to himself, watching his already shattered bottle with such despair.

I then reluctantly took his hand as he was still too focused on the mess he made, and shook it firmly. "Thank you for your time, Dinn."

I walked out the bar, thoroughly wiping my hand. And there I immediately knew what I had to do next.

_Go meet with The Man of The Mind._

!.!

I found it strange how I was able to find my way to The Man of The Mind's mansion, but the tall gilded gates that welcomed me before were closed now. I could see two underlings standing at each ends of the gates, so I decided to approach the seemingly less stiff-looking one. The underling then turned his eyes to me, but he remained still at his position.

"I have business with The Man of The Mind," I told him.

The underling stayed silent, which caused me to stay silent as well. As I patiently waited for an answer, I couldn't help but notice how lifeless the underling's eyes were; they showed not even a single hint of emotion. Is this how it was like to be completely under The Man of The Mind's control? It was despicable that people in Gehirn couldn't think for themselves, but to not own emotion? That was just horrible.

"The Man of The Mind…" I heard him say, his voice as lifeless as his eyes. "- Did not inform me that he was to expect any guests."

The sincere pity I felt for the underling that stood before me made me rethink of giving up. If I stop all my plans now and just try to move on with this sad life, ultimately, everyone in Gehirn could end up like this poor man. I just couldn't allow that to happen.

"Tell him that this is a surprise visit," I said loudly, smiling at the underling. I knew that he definitely wouldn't consider what I said, but I had a feeling that the man that was walking towards the gate would.

"Underling, open the gate," he ordered while smiling at me, his voice suave yet firm. The underling immediately did as he was ordered to.

As I stepped into The Man of The Mind's property, the man nodded courteously at me. I found the manner he portrayed odd but because I didn't want to be rude, I did the same.

"My name is Maki, The Man of The Mind's right-hand man. Or simply 'General'," he informed, his eyes smiling at me.

I returned his smile. "Hello, Maki."

!.!

I entered the familiar dim room once again. I looked around and found that the room still had the strangely quaint gloom to it. But, the smell in the air was different; it had this expensive, strong but really good scent to it, almost to the extent of making me dizzy. But I did notice the lights in the room glowed brighter than before.

"It's my new cologne."

My eyebrows furrowed._ My new… clone? What?_

"It's C-O-L-O-G-N-E," the voice spelled out clearly for me.

I frowned, only because I didn't know what 'cologne' was. I have heard of the word, but I remembered I didn't bother to implant the word into my brain because I thought the purpose of 'cologne' was stupid. I think it was something related to _women._

The Man of The Mind laughed which got me confused. "Yes, it is related to women – this perfume is made especially to _attract _women."

No wonder I found it stupid.

The Man of The Mind crossed his legs. "Well, Maki told me you being here was a surprise visit. And I have to tell you, I _really_ enjoy surprises."

I quirked an eyebrow, "Were you even surprised?"

"No," he admitted. "But I appreciate you trying to surprise me."

I wasn't sure if he was being honest, but if surprises were something The Man of The Mind enjoyed, then I wasn't willing to satisfy him contentment. A man like _him _wasn't worth such fine treatment.

I shook my head. "This 'surprise visit' was just an excuse so your men would allow me to meet you."

"Oh, I see." He stayed quiet for a moment, which I hope was a result of disappointment. He later continued, "Well, what business brings you here?"

"Alright, I'd like-"

_He already knows why you're here._

Finally, a hunch that actually made me happy came. In this case, I felt as if he was toying with me, expecting me to say something he was already aware of.

I crossed my arms. "You tell me."

He chuckled; I guess he accepted my challenge, and said, "You're here to know what happened to your friends."

"People I'm responsible of," I corrected him.

"Oh," Even if I couldn't see his face, just by the sound of his tone, I was sure he was quirking an eyebrow at me. "You don't consider them your friends?"

I pursed my lips and affirmed, "I don't regard anyone as a _friend._"

"Why?" asked The Man of The Mind.

"Because friendship…" I began, not wanting to let go of my already crossed arms. " - Needs trust."

"And you don't trust people."

I nodded at his words. I wasn't ashamed of it because I knew it wasn't wrong to feel so.

"And yet," he continued. "You strive to fight for these people you don't trust."

I was _not_ thrown aback by what he said, because I have once thought of the very same thing.

_Fear - _This was the word I hated deeply; the very cause of my inability to trust people and also reason why I wish to fight for these people. I wanted The Man of The Mind to read my mind because I found myself not willing enough to say the word aloud. And I hope he did or what I was to say next wouldn't make sense.

"Over the years," I started after taking a deep breath. "I've come to realize that it's much powerful compared to trust. So, once it's abolished, I think-" I paused, thinking that it was high time for me to be honest with myself. "Well… I _hope_ that trust can be regained."

"I see." He then asked, "How old are you, Pan?"

"Seventeen," I answered slowly as I furrowed my eyebrows a little, wondering why he asked.

"Why," Even in the midst of the shadows, I could see him resting his head on his fist. "Isn't that a lot to think of for a seventeen year old?"

And for the first time in front of him, I _genuinely_ laughed at the irony of hearing this coming from someone who himself looked roughly seventeen and had established fear over the region he ruled; but then again, there was still that ancient feeling to him.

"Well, I don't see anyone else thinking," I finally said after I fully recovered from laughing.

Honestly, I felt sad after saying that; discouraged even. It was like a wake-up call telling me that even if I successfully convince a hundred of people, in the end, I could only rely on myself to continue my plans.

"Don't go wavering now," I heard The Man of The Mind say, disrupting my thoughts. "I'd like to see this 'confrontation' that you've been so carefully planning."

"Then tell me what I want to know," I demanded. I was surprised with the sudden coarseness in my voice.

"Alright," he said, sounding as if he was trying to calm me down - I didn't need it though. "These people you're responsible of are _not_ imprisoned."

_He isn't lying. _

"Instead," he continued slowly. "I've casted them off to the other regions."

I was surprised. _It wasn't just Rau?_

"Four people and four regions," The Man of The Mind said, he sounded so thrilled. "Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

It annoyed me how he was taking this matter so lightly. Not that I expected him to care, but still, doing this when I wasn't even around. At least he could've ordered someone to inform me instead of me finding out myself.

"Why not set out the punishment on me?" I asked – suggested actually. "I'm their leader."

I had to admit, calling myself the 'leader' made me feel strangely proud and dignified in a way. But what I said was true, I _am_ the leader, so I should've been punished. But here I am, just recovered from laughing a few moments ago.

"It wouldn't be as much fun if I just punished you," he said, sounding like he was trying to make sense to me. "You know that I can't control your mind, so why not torment it?"

I was agitated at his words. It was true that I could stop him from controlling my mind, but it didn't mean I was immune to his other tactics. I sighed but tried to stay calm to think. There had to be a reason why he was doing this.

And then it hit me. "You want me to search for them."

With that, he started to clap in a slow and ridicule way, making me realize that all this time, I was being played with.

"Very good, Pan," he praised, but it sounded more like a mock to me.

I stared hard at him, feeling irritated, but I still wasn't able to accept it even if I knew my conclusion was inevitably true.

"And, Pan. Since I have this sudden urge to be nice to you right now," he added, which did nothing but increase the irritation I felt. "When you find these 'people you're responsible of'," he then chuckled, probably recalling the 'I don't regard anyone as a friend' issue we dropped earlier. "I give you the liberty of telling them to return to Gehirn by themselves, instead of tagging along with you when you go to another region."

The Man of The Mind slowly stood from his chair, strangely majestic in a way. There, his face escaped the shadows, showing an arrogance that could only be his. "It'd just cause quite a nuisance to you, wouldn't it?"

I clenched my fists. "Do you honestly think they'd know the way back to Gehirn? I myself don't even have a single clue as to where I should start searching for them!"

That's it. I lost it – my forbearance, my stability, my temper – he was probably laughing at the mere sight of me looking so _vulnerable. _But was he worth it? I desperately hope he was. And before I knew it, my eyes grew watery.

_I feel weak._

I clenched my fists tighter. No, I was not weak. The Man of The Mind may be worth those three things I mentioned, but to the extent of me being frustrated, only I am worth it.

"You didn't let me finish." The voice sounded so near, so I looked up and found that he was only a few steps away from me.

Without me realizing it, I took a step back. "Continue then."

He slightly tilted his head sideways, giving me a playful lopsided smile but I could see that his eyes remained serious. "I'm prepared to offer you my map."

I blinked several times, "Your map?"

"Yes," he assured, flashing yet another of his proud smiles at me. " - My very own map of the Five Eternal Regions."

I crossed my arms, refusing to let my guard down even if I felt a little hint of glee and relief when he mentioned a map. "And in return, what am I supposed to give you?"

He shook his head. "No, there's no need for you to give me anything. I'll give you the map for free."

I still couldn't accept it.

The Man of The Mind quirked an eyebrow at me, "You don't believe me?"

I sighed and pursed my lips. "I _do_ believe you, but I don't trust you."

"But you don't trust anyone."

I nodded, "Exactly."

"Alright, do you want the map or not?" he asked, sounding rather impatient now. But strangely, he still managed to control his composure.

I looked down and raised my hand to my chin. _Should I take it? I mean, having a map to guide you is definitely the better option rather than wander recklessly in foreign land._

I rubbed the back of my neck, still feeling unsure. But it's not as if I had any other choice. "I'll take it."

He smiled, looking satisfied. But the strange thing is, he began to walk closer to me with his hands raised and reaching to the sides of my head.

"What're you doing?" I asked hurriedly, but I didn't move away.

He smirked at me. "You didn't think the map was on paper, did you?"

I looked away and slowly nodded. "I did," I admitted, my voice low.

"The map is stored here." He softly tapped his head. "So, I'm going to transfer the information of my map to your brain."

I raised my eyes to his. "Will it…" I hesitated and bit my lip due to the uncertainty I was feeling. "Will it hurt?"

He smiled. "I'm actually not sure. It's the first time I've done this."

"Then, wai-" But I was interrupted when I felt his two large hands firmly holding the sides of my head.

There, I could feel The Man of The Mind's map slowly sipping into my brain, but it wasn't like a real map. The information he was transferring looked more like a journey as he roamed deeper into these regions. The vision of this journey wasn't very clear, but I could still make out the paths he used. There was a lot to take in and my head was beginning to hurt. I wanted him to stop for a while, so with much force, my hands finally grabbed his. I felt that his hands were much bigger than mine, and rather rough too; a man's hands.

As I began to slowly remove his hands, I heard him say, "Not yet." His voice was raspy and not too focused on me.

Now, visions of these regions' names began to enter my name. And finally, I could see the structure of these regions which looked somewhat of a circle, and oddly Gehirn was in the middle. Well, I'll just name these regions in clockwise direction, and starting from the right of Gehirn was a larger region named Elme. Under it seemed to be the smallest region and it was named Drängen. Next was a fairly large region named Sinne and the lastly, the region which was directly above Gehirn and was the largest region was named Zeit.

Finally, The Man of The Mind stopped.

I could hear myself panting hard, and so was he. But The Man of The Mind's hands still hadn't left my head neither did I stop grasping his hands. Now that I was already starting to breathe normally, I looked up, only to find that my gaze had locked accidentally with his. I didn't look away.

"Well, that was a lot," I said weakly as I let go of his hands.

He didn't reply, instead his hands remained holding my head and he suddenly began to move closer. His face now only a few inches from mine. I didn't know what he was planning to do at such a close range, so I decided to grab his wrists and try to push them away. But The Man of The Mind's hold on my head was unexpectedly strong, thus making my efforts futile.

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed with my eyes widened.

He didn't answer so, I began kicking him for that was the only thing I thought of doing. But it was useless because after a few kicks, The Man of The Mind swiftly locked my legs with his, causing us to fall to the ground. But he didn't stop there, he continued moving closer. What was he trying to do? Heck, what was I supposed to do?

_Let go of his wrists and push him away. _

Oh, right. So out of desperation, I immediately did as the hunch instructed but it was still useless. The Man of The Mind was much stronger than me; all he needed to do was use his head to push my hands away. Now, since I couldn't do anything else, I started to slap him; more precisely his head, because I would never resort into slapping one's face for that would be too rude of me.

"Get off me!" I shouted, still slapping him.

There, he finally let go of his grip on my head only to grab my wrists. "You don't have to be so aggressive." I found him smirking at me.

With the little strength I had left, I at least managed to break free from his grip. I then pushed him away and stood up.

"You damned, crude, twisted form of a man!" I shouted at him as he was still on his knees.

He let out a soft chuckle. "I couldn't help it," he replied nonchalantly as he began to stand up. "You looked rather cute when you were frazzled earlier."

I had the strong urge to just go to him and start slapping him all over again. I was certain that his insolence deserved such treating.

I groaned aloud and rubbed my forehead. "Thank you," I said, trying to sound sincere. "I'll leave now."

As I walked to the door, The Man of The Mind said, "It's nighttime, Pan."

I stopped and glanced outside the nearest window. I could see the moon glowing brightly, surrounded by the uncountable twinkling stars in the vast night sky.

"Do you want to stay for the night?" The Man of The Mind interrupted my moment of peace. "There are plenty of rooms in this castle." I turned and saw him smiling darkly at me. "You can even sleep with me if you don't like being alone."

I scoffed and turned away. "I do like being alone. And I'm sure I can find my way back home, safely."

"Yes, and if anyone tries to assault you, you can always start slapping them," remarked The Man of The Mind.

I was already out the door.

* * *

Dear Reader(s),

I'm really sorry if I didn't update this as soon as I wanted to. For only now do I realize that those who create stories of Fantasy/Supernatural genre need a really long time to come up with a satisfying - for themselves and their readers - continuation.

So, to **lumin ab intra, **I thank you so much for your review. Whenever I feel at loss or discouraged, I'd read your review and think 'I MUST NOT DISAPPOINT.' And to see that my story is one of your Fav. stories, I am greatly honored.

Well, there are six things I'd like to point out.  
1) The names I used for the places I mentioned are all German. I like it when words are in German. Except for _Elme, _I made that word up myself.  
2) Pan simply dislikes rudeness. And, I can tell you her behalf, she is greatly disappointed with what she did at the very end of this chapter.  
3) Maki of Gehirn isn't Maki of Miyabigaoka. They do not look/sound alike. But I hope I managed to capture the original Maki's manner, even if my Maki appeared for only a short while.  
4) Pan isn't aware of some things (kissing, sexual matters, romantic feelings), or rather she doesn't _want_ to be aware (cologne, anyone?). But that's only because she only thinks of things that are related to thinking and confronting The Man of The Mind.  
5) She isn't the 'I can kick your ass right here, right now' chick. At least she herself knows that, but then she's never resulted in violence before. So, this 'slapping' of hers is a first.  
6) At seventeen, Pan already has grey hair.

Anyways, if there are any spelling or grammatical errors, do forgive me. So, please review!

Yours Faithfully,

Obsession Delavoix


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